Wed
by Remy101
Summary: When Andrew Minyard takes over the Minyard empire, the Moriyama's attention is quickly drawn to him and his newly-growing Exy team, the Foxes. In an attempt to keep close watch, Neil Wesninski, son of the Moriyamas' "butcher" is wed to Andrew and Neil's hope of escape from the world of criminal empires is squashed.
1. The Meeting Room

Chapter One

The Meeting Room

Neil felt his stomach clench nervously and his hands slick with cold sweat as his footsteps echoed across the marble floor. His head started throbbing the moment his father had announced where they'd be going and his throat had gone so dry that hadn't been able to speak or make any type of sound- not that he'd ever dare to speak unaddressed in the presence of his father anyway- but he knew that Nathan Wesninski would expect his son to speak loud and clear, not cower or fret in front of all his friends.

He'd learned that the hard way… so he forced himself to swallow, easing the dryness while he forced his gaze away from the floor and tried to look calm as he was greeted with the familiar smell of old leather and whiskey.

The Moriyamas' meeting room was just across the living room. Neil always found it eerie that Kengo Moriyama would discuss crime, murder and conquest so close to where he sits with his family. But then again, his whole family was part of his criminal empire and Neil doubted that even his sweet wife wasn't privy to his business despite the sound-proof walls of the meeting room.

Smartly-dressed men greeted them as Neil and his father entered the cigar-filled room and he made sure to wipe his sweaty hands on his pants before offering his hand to firm handshakes and he made sure to plaster an unwavering smile as he was patted in the back. He felt his father's eyes on him as he confidently engaged in small talks and tried not to imagine the blood on all these men's' hands.

 _You'll be fine_ , he told himself. _Be good. Obey._

But he felt the mantra screech into an immediate halt as Kengo entered, his three sons by his side. All dressed in dark suits, dark hair combed away sleekly. At his presence, the men who'd been casually loitering about, whiskey in hand, straightened up and took up their assigned seats.

It was always the same seats, unless a new partner or member was taken under the Moriyama wing- or claw, more like…

Neil sat next to his father and tried to keep his jittering nerves under control, discreetly inhaling calming breaths and clenching his fingers tight under the long, Mahogany table.

He watched as Ichirou, Riko and Kevin took their respective seats beside their father. Neil wanted to glance at them and distinguish whether or not they were as scared as he felt, but as always, his eyes stayed glued to Kengo in the way some would freeze at an oncoming freight of terror. Mr. Moriyama's expression never strayed from neutral but Neil had seen that a single flick of his wrist could mean a detached head or a ripped arm.

His dark eyes regarded everyone in the room with ease as he leaned back on his chair and rested his clasped hands on his stomach.

Neil felt his eyes water as the gaze swept over him for a second. Even his father tensed beside him as the room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Then suddenly, his expression relaxed and formed an amused smile.

"Good afternoon, friends." The tension visibly eased. Kevin's shoulders slumped in relief.

Neil retreated to an empty, unhearing shell he was so used to. He'd been at enough of these meetings to know that he'd hear a bunch of haunting topics of conversation otherwise. He let his eyes wonder over the faces of the Moriyama sons, wondering what worse things they could have heard or witnessed. He watched the engaged frown on Ichirou's face and the smirking expression on Riko's face and felt sick to his stomach. Would he turn out to be like them? Would he be sucked into this world too?

His gaze landed on Kevin for a moment and he watched the younger son clench his jaws as his unfocused eyes stared resolutely ahead. Neil knew others wouldn't notice, but he did. He's been wearing that expression all his life after all.

Suddenly the other boy's eyes widened just slightly and Neil felt curious enough to listen in on the conversation.

"…foxes. Apparently, they've been successful ever since." A small, pudgy man was saying. His gold watch caught the light as he swallowed his amber drink in one go. Lenard Caruthers. One of his father's frequent contractors.

"Is it true then?" Nathan's voice was calm as he addressed the head. Not many would dare address Kengo, but his father was particularly close to the Moriyamas and was feared enough himself to do so. "Is she dead, Mrs. Minyard?"

"Yes, it's true. Her son murdered her." Kengo's loud voice sent a shiver through Neil. "My sources haven't been able to find much more information."

"So, her whole empire is under a _boy's_ hands?" Nathan sneered.

"Don't be so quick to undermine him," Kengo glared. "His mother wasn't a threat to us but that family's empire was strong. It doesn't make a difference who the head is. In fact, we have something to watch out for now that he has the Foxes under him. "

Neil's attention perked up at that. The Foxes were a newly formed Exy team that Neil had been hearing of frequently- first for how much of a mess they were, and now for their slowly growing skills.

"Cut the head off, kill the snake" Nathan laughed as he puffed out smoke into the already clouded air. "Bullshit."

Kengo smiled at that as if that amused him too before leaning forward. "That was why I called for this meeting today. We need to keep an eye on the Minyards and the foxes."

"Kevin," he said suddenly and the boy startled so hard that Neil felt bad for him. "You'll be transferring to their team. We need inside resources."

Kevin's face visibly paled and Riko turned sharply to glare at his younger brother. None of them dared to say a word to the direct order as Kevin nodded.

"But" Campbell started, his brows constricted in a frown. "They'd never take a Raven willingly."

"Yes, they will." Kengo grinned, teeth yellow and gaze piercing. No one dares turn away what the Moriyamas have to offer. It was a form of disrespect that would surely mark them a threat and result in immediate death.

"We shall also be bound to them through an offer of marriage from our own." He continued.

Confused glances and mutters filled the wide room at that statement.

"I doubt that they'd see that as an offer of peace." Nathan tilted his head in contemplation.

"Doesn't matter." Kengo said simply. "They shall accept or they shall refuse." The last word was uttered with a promise of wrath and pain. Neil winced.

"So," Caruthers said confusedly. "Are they our enemies or friends?"

"Enemies." Riko hissed and his father shot him a threatening look. He slumped back in his seat. Riko was the captain of the Ravens and obviously looking forward to the Foxes' execution. He looks forward to death and pain, all in all actually.

"Neither, for now." Kengo said slowly as he raised his glass towards his son for a re-fill. "We've recently been able to identify his features and were able to follow him a while before the boy grew wise." He continued,

"We know now that he prefers boys."

Neil's blood grew cold and a wave of panic forced him out of his impassive expression. He felt his face crack like an ancient piece of bark as he fought to keep the façade on, but from the way Kevin glanced at him quickly, he knew that he was failing.

His hands were shaking in his hand and his lungs burned from trying to keep his breaths even.

Kengo's gaze snapped to him and observed him calmly around his raised cup of whiskey. As if he wasn't about to ruin Neil's life, reduce his very last hold on sanity to ash and dust. As if he wasn't squashing his last hold on freedom.

"How old is your son, Nathan?" Mr. Moriyama inquired without taking his dark eyes off him.

"Old enough." His father answered smugly. Satisfied that _his_ son was chosen. "Nathaniel is 15."

The sound of his real name pierced through his panic and set him into a new kind of frenzy. He glanced at his father, the butcher. The auburn hair and blue eyes so similar to his. He peered through the tears in his eyes for any sign of mercy, of compassion. He wouldn't offer him to a murderer, would he?

"Father, please…"

The reply came in the form of a stinging slap across his face. The room went eerily quiet as Neil's whole world teetered at the edge of his vision. He felt disapproving glares like hot iron across his skin. He was wrong to show such blatant weakness, and as he looked at his father's bared teeth and flashing eyes, he knew he'd be punished later.

But all Neil could think was that his new position as a bridge between the two empires made him too vital and if he were ever to try escaping again, he'd be faced with not only his father's but Kengo's wrath as well.

He was never going to escape. Neil felt his throat closing up with the new realization but he swallowed and fixed his gaze on Mr. Moriyama.

"I'll do it."

 ******* **Author's Note** *******

Disclaimer:  
Characters belong to the amazing Nora Sakavic!

Hello there :D  
I read this amazing series and couldn't stop thinking about it, and what better way to indulge myself than writing a fanfic?

 **Leave reviews, let me know what to work on!**


	2. The Arrangement

Chapter Two

The Arrangement

The sun was barely up when Neil woke; in fact, it was well dark. His shirt stuck to his back in cold sweat and his whole face felt clammy. He'd been running again in his dreams. With a shaky breath, he heaved himself up and donned on his jacket before checking his pockets for his pack of cigarettes.

When his fingers closed around the box, his nerves eased a little.

As always, the hallways were empty. Not one of the many house maids appeared as Neil made his way out of his room and across the courtyard to the edge of the woods surrounding the mansion. He lit one of his cigarettes as he went. His head felt clattered with thoughts and unfocused, but his feet easily led him through the familiar path in the slowly brightening morning haze.

The coil of both hatred and regret burned bitter at the sight of his mother's name scrawled in his writing across a slab of concrete. _Mary Hatford._ All those years running and here they were now- his mother's body buried clumsily in sand near the pacific coast, only this piece of stone and two lock picks to remember her by. And Neil… under spotlight of the politics in his father's business, trapped like a wingless bird in a cage.

Making this headstone was the second thing he did after his father had caught him, recovering from his father's wrath was the first thing he did. At the thought, Neil's fingers drifted to the raised skin on his right arm. The butcher didn't get his name for nothing after all; he had a thing for knives.

Neil never knew why he even bothered with the gravestone. His mother was a wretched, paranoid thing. She was half-crazy with desperation of escape and only a shadow of a person. The only thing she gave him was her proclivity for paranoia and her tiny size. Never had she touched him but to slap him out of crying or to snap his attention away from girls. And yet Neil came here often, trying to recall her small smiles at his little league Exy games, trying to wash away the look of dying breath on her face as she gripped his arms desperately.

Today was different though, today was a good-bye. Neil knew he didn't have the words nor the willingness to say anything, so he only focused on the satisfying burn in his lungs as he inhaled strongly and stood watching the slow ascent of the sun through tall trees.

When Neil returned to his room, he found neatly folded clothes on his newly-made bed. The sight brought on the earlier panic that he'd been trying to ease, but he swallowed it down and discarded his sweatpants and jacket before jumping in the shower.

As he closed his eyes under the torrent of cold water, Neil tried to imagine what his new life would be like. Despite the fact that he was the pawn in this game, no one had bothered to inform him much about what to expect and he was smart enough to know not to ask his father. It's been three years since the marriage had been arranged and despite Neil's desperate wishes, Andrew Minyard had officially accepted the offer. Once the offer was accepted, Neil knew that there must have been several meetings between Minyard and the Moriyamas, but he never caught sight of the man.

There were several nights when Neil would stay awake trying to picture his to-be-husband's features. More frequent than not, he pictured him with a bloated stomach, sagging skin and furry brows. There were also nights when he'd try to picture him as handsome, but it didn't matter to Neil either way. He isn't attracted to anyone. The only good thing that could come out of this arrangement was Exy. Kevin had transferred three years ago and today, Neil would be recruited as a striker for the Foxes.

Neil etched onto that thought with his last remaining shred of hope as he dressed in the smart pair of dark slacks and crisp, white shirt. The luggage he'd packed last night was right where he left it at the foot of the bed, but Neil hauled it on to the bed and felt under the clothes till his fingers landed on the rough, worn edges of his binder. He knew that there was no hope of escape after this, but the thought of bringing his IDs, passports and list of contacts calmed him.

There was a knock on his door and Neil startled, quickly slamming the bag shut and zipping it up with fumbling hands. As he tentatively eased the door open, a middle-aged woman smiled at him warmly.

"Good Morning, Mr. Wesninski," She greeted before she flitted past him into the room.

"It's Neil." He muttered, feeling dumb. She only glanced at him condescendingly before easing her cleaning bucket on the floor. Neil didn't recognize her but he recognized that look from others when he kept insisting on being called _Neil_. It wasn't that he liked that name particularly, he'd gone by a total of 22 names while he was on the run and names had grown to be meaningless words where others found sentiment in it; it was that _Nathaniel_ was too close to sounding like _Nathan_ ; it was that each time he heard his real name, he felt his father's quivering anger and heard his mother's desperate cries.

 _Neil_ was the name he'd taken right before he'd been caught and it was a reminder of the last taste of freedom, the last fight.

"Your father is waiting for you downstairs," the woman said as she collected his discarded clothes and placed them in a laundry basket.

Neil nodded with a dry mouth.

"You are to keep your last name."

They were seated in the living room by the large table when his father decided to talk to Neil about this new life he'd been forced in. Three years and Nathan thought now- few minutes away from Andrew Minyard's arrival- was best to address the marriage.

"I expect you will behave and not bring shame to your family," he hissed from beside him. Neil tramped down the urge to snort at the word _family_. He nodded instead.

"Don't utter a single word about what you've seen or heard that has to do with us," he continued. "And if you even think about running, I'll make sure…"

The threat was cut short by a shrill sound from his father's pocket.

"Are they here?" he asked gravelly. A short pause followed as he furrowed his brows and listened.

"Stay on guard. Anything suspicious and you know what to do." He growled before shutting his phone off.

Terrell Lawrence, the Moriyamas' lawyer started easing out paper work from his briefcase and placing them neatly on the table. Neil glanced at his own suitcase safely tucked in a corner of the large room, mentally going over the contents of his binder.

Not a minute later, brisk footsteps echoed in the spacious hallway beyond the walls and stopped right by the door. A lanky, young man walked in first and caught Nathan's eye. Nathan only straightened up in his seat before giving a jerk of the chin.

The man disappeared and came back seconds later with several people in tow. As soon as Neil caught sight of Kevin, he felt a sting of envy. His dark hair was a bit messy as if he just got out of practice and the black ink on his cheeks still marked him second to his brother, Riko. Neil had tracked his career in Exy through the years and had grown to accept the fact that Kevin Day had gotten the better end of things, but he still felt bitter as he noticed that the hollow, empty look from that day during the meeting was gone, replaced by a wary expression as his green eyes took in the room.

The next man who walked in was dressed as casually as you could possibly be in such a situation. His tall figure only made his confident glare and inked arm feel more threatening. If Neil hadn't done a good amount of research, he would've guessed that David Wymack was a bodyguard and not an Exy coach.

Finally, a figure walked in, flanked by two obscenely large men. In contrast to them, Andrew Minyard looked like a small child. If Neil had to guess, he'd say Minyard was shorter than even an Exy racquet, but Neil had been taught to observe well and somehow he felt that Andrew Minyard did not need other men to protect him at all- despite his miniature size.

Whereas Kevin wore a simple shirt, Andrew was dressed in black -from the dress shirt to the pants- that contrasted starkly with his blonde hair. His hazel eyes only spared the room a lazy, expressionless gaze, but Neil didn't miss the way they snagged at one of the bookshelves. If Neil remembered correctly, there was a secret door behind that shelf and if he knew his father enough, there were armed men on the guard just behind it.

Neil watched the other boy as he walked in and noted the lithe underlining behind the lazy stride. He shook his father's hand calmly, neither bothering with greetings. When he reached Neil, he gave him a bored once over and offered his hand. Neil shook it firmly, resisting the urge to punch him instead.

"It appears you haven't brought a lawyer." Lawrence spoke up after they've all sealed in their seats.

"Didn't need one." Andrew answered simply. From the casual way he speaks, one would think that there weren't eleven armed men waiting for Nathan's cue. Lawrence's dark-skinned face contorted with confusion as he glanced towards Nathan.

His father cleared his throat. "Right, let's get on with it then."

They dealt with the Exy agreement first. Coach Wymack watched as Neil signed, an unidentifiable expression on the older man's face.

"We will discuss rules, regulations and equipment later on." He said to Neil gruffly.

"Ok."

At that, the lawyer began reciting the terms of the marriage to Andrew. Neil drowned him out and tried not to run as Kevin Day threw him a pitying look from across the table. Beside him, Andrew looked equally inattentive, if not more. His features blank as he watched Neil's stiff form. The only sign of feeling in the twitch of his fingers on the arm of the dark leather couch.

Neil leveled him with a calm look of his own, refusing to back down from this subtle battle. If he was to be bound to this stranger for the rest of his lives, he was going to make sure he had the upper hand of things. He wasn't about to be anyone's bitch.

As if Andrew read his thoughts, his lips formed into a smirk. Neil tried not to flinch at the maniacal twist of his face. Lawrence's voice droned on the last pieces of agreement terms and then thrust the paperwork to Andrew. The blonde boy leaned forward and signed without a second thought.

Neil's blood had started to thrum with silent terror by this time and his eyes followed the paper as it was slowly pushed towards him. He didn't know how long he stared at the blue ink scrawled next to the blank space left for him, but he must have taken long because his father clenched his fists irritably beside him.

His fingers closed tight around the pen for fear of his hand shaking. It shook anyway- once he signed the paper, and let go of the pen. Fortunately, his father was too busy talking to Minyard to notice it. They might've talked about him, they might've talked about business. Neil couldn't clear the fog enough to listen. Their voices felt miles away, muffled by the sudden tilt in his life as blood throbbed in his ears. He had only one thought in his mind as he stared at the two signatures side by side.

 _This is it._


	3. The Minyard Mansion

Chapter Three

The Minyard Mansion

If there was anything to describe how Neil felt looking at his house through tinted windows, minutes away from departure, it would be _empty_. For as long as he could remember, he hated that house. The building was imposing, marred by unnecessary detail structure. The hallways were too long, filled left and right with numerous doors through which Neil was never allowed. The ornaments, furniture and decorations only reminded Neil of the blood spilt to have it.

There was a time early in his life when his mother was optimistic enough to hold his little hands and flit about the house, pointing out little nooks and crannies, making an adventure out of the bleak house. There was a time when he'd look at the feigned excitement, the over-exaggeratedly mysterious tone in his mother's voice and feel like he had a home. But that was a long time ago and he only felt relief as he sat in a stranger's car, sparing the looming structure a brief glance.

"Slow the fuck down, Andrew!" blared horns and screeching wheels accompanied Kevin's panicked voice to pull Neil out of his reverie.

Considering Andrew's position in the crime world, he oughtn't even be behind the wheels and given his evident lack in proper driving ethics, his friends should've never let him. And yet, here they were, gripping the seats white-knuckled as the manic blonde weaved through the roads like he was driving the _Knight Bus_.

Kevin's protest was only met with silence, as Neil learned was the usual response from Andrew. He didn't know whether to be intimidated or grateful of this nature. To be frank, he wasn't sure of anything. All those years he'd had to contemplate his life, he wasn't able to think much past the dread of signing those papers. He couldn't. He wasn't sure what to expect from his new life partner and he wasn't sure what part to play. All he knew was that he spent all those years trying to _survive_ and now that he was somewhat free from his father's clutches, he was going to _live_ instead- meaning Exy and meaning not taking shit from a midget- even if it means death, even if it sets his mother's body rolling in her grave.

If being stuck for two hours in a car that was inches away from an accident with Andrew, Kevin and a mute bodyguard was awkward, then there were no words to describe how it felt standing in front of the Minyard mansion, suitcase in hand.

The house was nothing compared to the wesninskis' pretentiously built one. For all the ornamentation of the front iron gates and the immaculately kept expanse of compound leading up to it, the house was actually simple- although quite huge. The white paint was brand new, adding a sharp, chemical tang to the fresh breeze brought in from the surrounding woods. Despite the secluded nature and significant amount of distance from town, the air felt loud and busy.

"Welcome home, hubby," Andrew drawled, slipping a newly-lit cigarette between his lips. He leaned against the car as the bodyguards slipped past Neil to enter the house. Neil would have laughed out at the ridiculousness of the term hadn't it been said with such spite- or cried at the sudden reality of life as a stranger's husband. Instead, he clenched his fists and controlled his expressions as Andrew hungrily searched his face for a reaction.

"Feeling right home already," he retorted. He was earned a loud laugh. Neil watched cautiously as Andrew's hazel eyes flashed in a malicious manner, contrasting greatly to his light laughter. Kevin shifted his feet uncertainly from where he was standing.

"Kevin," barked Coach Wymack as he slipped out of his own car. "What are you doing there, shuffling around like a lost puppy?" He gestured to Neil's suitcase, "Help him with his stuff."

Neil's fingers automatically tightened their grip on his bag. The thought of parting with his only material possession in this uncharted new ground that is now his life made him panic. Neil might have given up on the idea of escape that unfortunate night when his father's face had appeared after so many years, but the thought that he'd have everything he'd need nearby if he were desperate enough to attempt it again comforted him nonetheless.

He had to keep it safe where no one could get to it and that resolution must have registered on his face because Wymack's eyes flicked to his tight grip on the bag the same time Andrew's face split into a grin that chilled Neil.

"What's this?" the blonde jeered. "The butcher's son feeling sentimental about his belongings?"

Neil imagined wrapping his fingers around the blonde's throat as tight as his grip on his bag, but he settled on a death-glare instead, his father's warning chiming in his head.

"Are you hiding something in there?" hazel eyes flicked down curiously, ignoring the fury rolling off Neil. "Gonna take out daddy's knives in the middle of the night and slit our throats?"

"You'd be first," Neil spat, trying to calm his fraying nerves. Picking a fight the first day won't ring well with Nathan.

Kevin visibly tensed and Andrew laughed as if the implication was amusing. Neil didn't know whether the sick feeling in his stomach was at the assumption that he was anything similar to his father or at the nonchalant way Andrew dismissed his threat.

"Never mind, Kevin," Wymack said, appearing unruffled by Andrew's words. "I'll take care of this. You keep an eye on that fucker."

From the answering obscene hand gesture, Neil guessed 'that fucker' was Andrew. Only this maniac would lead a criminal family, only he would be so disrespectful as to flip off his own coach. If Neil hated his husband before, he _loathed_ him now.

Neil followed numbly as Wymack weaved through a maze of hallways, pointing out several sections of the large mansion. He only nodded politely as the older man rattled off explanations, not really listening. The only thing his ears caught was that the rest of the foxes were on court for their day's practice. If Wymack asked a question, Neil would've nodded all the same-and maybe he did- but if the coach noticed anything off about Neil, he didn't comment.

"I figured you'd want to keep it somewhere safe." Wymack said as he took out keys to open a door. Neil had no idea how they ended up here, few feet away from the enormous mansion, in front of another house. He hadn't bothered to map out the mansion during his tour; he figured that, as the owner's husband, he'd have the rest of his life for it.

There was a small stone trail that led to Wymack's house as well as many other buildings. It reminded Neil of the Moriyama mansion, the way it was built like a small town.

Once inside, the coach led him to the back where he proceeded unlocking another door. The room was small, tiny in comparison to the scale of its surroundings. There was a small bed, a desk and a closet. Neil could tell it had been unoccupied for quite a while- which may have to do with the absence of a window… Who'd build a bedroom without a window anyway?

"It's safe here, I promise" Wymack gestured at the claustrophobic walls in the dark room and Neil glanced at him, wondering if he should trust him. He was a Wesninski, the butcher's son. There was no way they won't search his belongings. And what could Neil do about it? He wasn't here on his own terms anyway. He had no choice.

"Here," Wymack offered him a small key. "There's a safe in that closet. No one has the key but you." He added, clearly sensing Neil's doubt. Neil ignored the outstretched hand, searching the man's face instead. He only saw tiredness- the kind that comes from deep understanding and resignation. It was lost on Neil why this man would go to such length to make him comfortable, but he knew somehow that he was sincere.

And that gave him the slightest sense of safety, which was more than he could ask for. Neil's throat constricted with some feeling. "Thank you," he mumbled, resisting the urge to flinch at the unfamiliarity of the word.

He took the key.


	4. The Foxes

Chapter Four

The Foxes

Neil heard his own pulse ringing in his ears as he followed Coach Wymack to the Foxhole court, each erratic beat of his heart in sync with his hurried footsteps on the paved road. He felt a sort of electrifying excitement bubbling under his skin. He'd been jittery through the whole process of enrollment at the university's main building. His sights were set on the scattered trinkets of the school's Exy team; on orange foam hands and cringe-worthy cheer quotes. It distracted him from reminiscing past experiences with schools and berating himself too much when old lies slipped.

Ever since he and his mother had been on the run, they had to makeup elaborate lies everywhere they went. Fake names, fake passports, fake lives… Neil has been there through and through, thanks to Mary's connections. The first few weeks, his mother had been keen on making it seem like some sort of vacation, but Neil was well aware of his father's tendencies at that age and was well aware that they were running for their lives. Her efforts didn't last anyway; all it took was a few close calls and all pretenses of fun were dropped. And then of course, one of those close calls had been too close and Neil was left spinning his own lies to explain why his parents weren't available. Lies were so engrained into him that he often found himself pondering where they ended and he began. He'd lied so often that _he_ was becoming a lie.

So once he'd corrected himself and muttered 'Nathaniel', he only helplessly watched as the skeptic old woman erased the previous name, _Neil Josten_.

Exy was the only truth left in him. It was the only thing that made him a tangible entity- not names, not relations. And as his fingers hooked in the court's fence, as he rested his head against the cool surface of intercrossed metal, he felt it calling to him. Figures flit about in their gears, clashing now and then in the heat of the game. It made Neil's blood sing with anticipation. He could almost feel the smooth wood of a racquet under his fingers, feel it reverberate with the force of a hit.

"Kevin was right," Wymack muttered beside him, as if talking to himself. "There might be more to you than a pawn in the Moriyamas' game."

 _Kevin_ , Neil thought. _The unsolved variable in the equation_.

"There is," Neil replied. It felt like a promise.

Fortunately, they didn't stay long behind the fence and Neil was able to divert his clamoring excitement away from the practicing, orange-clad figures on the court. Wymack punched in a code -that Neil failed to catch- and soon, Neil was in the Foxes' quarter. The reality of it was sinking like a hole-punched raft in the middle of the Atlantic.

The first room was the lounge. One step in and Neil was bombarded with so much orange that he instantly missed the drabness of his life- the colorless, unnoticeable clothes; the empty-walled apartments. Neil had never given much notice to trivial things like color, but he was sure now that orange wouldn't be his answer to the customary question: _what's your favorite color?_

It seems Andrew had the same apprehension about color because he was dressed in all-black once again. This time in a more casual attire that consisted of a long-sleeved shirt and black jeans. His usual malicious vibe was gone and replaced with a blank look. From his spot on one of the large couches, he seemingly leeched out all the vibrancy of orange around them. Neil couldn't help but feel baffled at the sudden turn of moods.

"Little fucks!" Coach exclaimed, falling in step behind Neil. "How many times…" his beady eyes fixed on Kevin who was fretting over hiding a bottle between the cushions.

"Hand it over," Wymack growled, storming towards the lounging boys. Kevin sat up quickly and threw Andrew a helpless look; most likely in search for backup- he didn't even get a glance back. He must have gotten the hint because he sighed to himself and dug in between the cushions before holding out the half-empty bottle of amber liquid. From the force Wymack used to snatch the bottle, it was a wonder that Kevin's arm stayed intact.

The coach's mouth opened several times in an attempt to articulate his scorn in words, and managed to settle on a scowl at Andrew at last.

"I know you don't give two shits about Exy," He said. "But I could always take it out on your little group of leashed puppies."

Andrew glanced at the large, seething man calmly. The only sign he was even aware of his surrounding was the wistful look he gave the bottle of alcohol in Wymack's hands. Neil wished he could be as aloof; it was better than the helplessly terrified feeling that gripped his entire being and closed up his throat. The last time an older man had been furious like this, he'd almost lost his legs. His fluttery fingers itched to feel around his ankles, to feel the raised skin that always reminded him that Nathan hadn't gone through with his promised intent of cutting off his legs.

Neil forced himself to calm down, clenching his fingers in a fist tight enough that his nails dug into his palms. But his attempts were in vain really; no one paid him any attention. Wymack was stuck in a steadily failing attempt at threatening Andrew and Kevin was too busy visibly panicking over the threats like they were aimed at him- Neil guessed they might well be for all the obsession the dark-haired boy felt for Exy.

Finally, Wymack gave up on the one-sided stare down and spared the wide-eyed Kevin a silencing glance. "Shut up, Kevin."

Kevin, who was well into reciting an apology speech, gave a curt nod. "Yes, coach."

"Go get everybody. Practice ends early today." He cradled the bottle in his hands as he headed down a hallway towards, Neil assumed, his office. He watched with a receding, muffled panic as the older man disappeared, muttering something about his _good bottle of whiskey_.

Once Kevin's stumbling figure went in search for the foxes, Neil grew extra aware of the other boy in the room. He risked a glance and found that Andrew was watching him uninterestedly. His hazel eyes had dulled now that there wasn't a familiar spark of ill-will in them. There were dark circles under them. There was such a profound change in the way he held himself compared to earlier. Neil had a feeling that the alcohol might be the only thing keeping him from scattering.

"Couldn't you have asked one of your brutes to buy you some?" Neil asked abruptly, certain that he didn't need to elaborate. He was sure Andrew knew that he was referring to the bodyguards.

The blonde showed no sign that he even heard him as he moved to lay on the couch with his arms over his eyes. Neil turned away, sure that he would be ignored.

"They're not always there." Neil snapped his head to the laying figure, surprised with the calm tone. This might be the first time he heard Andrew Minyard be anything but malicious and infuriating.

Neil wasn't sure if this empty husk was any less threatening than the obnoxious, crazy demeanor, but he knew that the quiet intensity and dead feel to those eyes made a chill run down his spine. And that should've warranted some kind of caution, but somehow, Neil felt an urge to prod.

"Why?" his voice had softened as if out of fear that a wide smile would stretch Andrew's lips in that unnatural way.

"I don't want them to." Was the reply, said in such a simple manner that it almost assured Neil that there wasn't much more meaning behind those words. Almost.

Neil suddenly felt himself wondering things he hadn't given much thought to before. He had been so caught on reeling from the turn out of that day during the meeting that he hadn't even wondered about the whole story behind this boy he'd been wed to; did he really kill his own mother? Did he want to be head or was it handed to him through the line of power? Did Andrew even want to be part of any of this?

Neil opened his mouth, meaning to shoot a torrent of questions but unsure where to start and how to ask. He wasn't able to dwell on it much longer though; before he could gather his thoughts, a flurry of excited sounds echoed in the foyer, travelled through the halls and followed the rest of the foxes as they entered the lounge.

There was minimal media coverage on foxes as far as Neil had gathered from his habits of tracking Kevin Day. If there was any talk about them, it was on Wymack's ideals and intentions for gathering "misfits of all kind", it was to question the coach's sanity or to sympathize with him. After Kevin's transfer, it was on him solely, unrelated to his new team. There are also times when they would be praised for improvement and be deemed competition, but that sort of news had proved to be only brief. Some time or another during their finer moments, something would occur to further cement their bad name. Occurrences of misdemeanor, in most- if not all- cases.

After learning of his new position as their striker, though, Neil made it his job to scrounge up any information on them alongside Kevin. He wasn't able to learn much. There weren't even pictures. Andrew's doings, Neil assumed.

When Neil imagined meeting the foxes, he'd imagined shaking hands and exchanging names. He imagined formal introductions and an initiation that consisted of Wymack relaying rules and welcomes; he did not expect it to end in a short array of excited exclamations, comments and pats on the back.

Most of all, he did not imagine that Aaron Minyard was Andrew's twin. Neil's eyes snagged on him as soon as he entered. He felt dumb-founded as his eyes flit between the two brothers. He really wished there had been more to find out about this bunch before he'd come.

A tall, dark-haired boy with brown eyes was first to react to his presence, exclaiming, "Andrew, you didn't tell me how striking our new striker is" and preceding to cackle at his own joke as he reached to give Neil a one-armed hug and then- "Yeah, there's two of them unfortunately" after noticing Neil's baffled state. Andrew only stared blankly and Aaron flopped on a chair, not bothering with greetings.

"I'm Nicky," the boy continued, brown eyes flashing with apology, "Those two are my cousins." Neil didn't get a chance to ponder the accuracy of it, noting a significant difference in height as well as skin tone before the tall boy went off pointing and rattling everyone's name. Neil suddenly felt glad that he knew their names already and only had to put the faces to the names.

Dan was short-haired and energetic. She was the captain and rightfully so given the general, no-bullshit vibe she gave off. It reminded Neil a bit of Wymack's sturdy manner. Although, Danielle was warm and inviting where coach was unamiable.

"Haven't been on the court quite a while, I hear." She said as she approached him, "I expect you'll catch up, eh?" she slapped his back with a friendly smile still intact, but Neil could sense the threat behind it as well. He stumbled a bit, caught unawares with the force.

"Forgive Dan here," Matt smiled at him as he pulled Dan back to his side, "She usually doesn't have your balls until you're on the court." Dan gave him an unamused sneer before throwing her arms around his waist.

"Why are we avoiding the obvious here?" Allison said suddenly. She looked the most out of place, with her legs crossed primly like her orange gear wasn't soaked in sweat. If Neil hadn't known better, he'd question her position as defensive dealer in such a violent sport. But some of the strongest people he knew were women.

"I didn't even know arranged marriages were still a thing," She snorted.

"Me neither," Neil threw back. Everyone's eyes turned to him, burning with questions.

"Yes, we're married," Neil spat, not without some difficulty. Aaron's eyes widened before he threw a curious glance at his brother. Neil felt defensive over the increasingly heavy stares. "Any problems?" he challenged. Matt and Dan looked at each other. Allison smiled haughtily from beside the hazy-eyed Kevin. Renee smiled at him encouragingly from where she was sitting quietly. Nicky burst out into hysterical laughter and then abruptly stopped when he noticed that no one was following.

"Shit, Andrew," he cleared his throat. "I thought you were joking."

 *****Author's Note*****

So I wanted to clear out a few things- Neil doesn't know much about the foxes beforehand because Andrew makes sure to keep them out of spotlight. There is indeed little information about them outside of their games and matches (in which they are increasingly becoming noticed) and that's why Neil, although aware of all their names including Aaron's, was aware that Andrew had a brother but wasn't aware that he was his twin.

Next chapter: Late-night practice with Kevin (Andrew's there, duh), a small fact about his husband revealed to Neil and a confrontation that happens as the day comes to an end and rooms are under discussion...


End file.
